Advertising device



June 24, 1930. J. w. ASHWORTH I 1,767,570

' ADVERTISING DEVICE I Filed April 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [N VENTOR.

24 /6 m6 B Y% 1 B 11 9. A'T RNEYS.

June 24, 1930. J. w. A'SHWORTH 1,767,570

ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed April 8,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTOR.

AT RIVEYS.

Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES, PATENT .oFFic'E 1 JOHN w; ASHWORTH, or New YORK, Assrsnoarofa'siiwonrrz nnvsnrrsrne COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, n. Y., A oonronarron on NEW Yoa ADVERTISING nEvroE-f Application filed April 8, 1929. Serial No. 353,512.

' This invention is an advertising device adapted to be installed invarious places and embodying the advantage, among other things, of comprising sufiicient novelfeatures 5 to command the attention of casual observers. V I I It is well recognized in advertising fields that moving parts are particularly adapted to catch and hold the attention and especially so where there is involved'an elementof mystery as to the means or mechanism whereby the movement is produced. a g

The device of the present invention is calculated to embody these desirous features and at the sametime to utilize certain. portlons of the moving mechanism as one or more prime movers for the other parts.

out the present invention, the device may be mounted either in stationary POSltlOIl upon any suitable part of a building orupon a wehicle, but, in any event, the device is exposed in such manner as to be located in moving currents of air occasioned by natural causes it the device is of the stationary type or by movement of the vehicle if the device is mounted thereon. i

The device in this embodiment compr ses what may be termed adisplay element on which suitable advertising media, may be printed or otherwise delineated. This element is mounted for movement'adapt ed to be imparted thereto bya suitable w ndoperated prime mover. For. example, onemore series of vanes, mounted to rotate under the action of moving air currents, are geared or otherwise operatively connected with the moving element, so that under the influence of such moving air currents, the'd splay 'element is caused to rotate. This element may have a plurality of faces with one or more of the same or. different advertised matter on the several faces which are successively presented to view-during'the rotationofthe element in the manner stated.

Instead of employing a wlnd operated prime mover, the display element may be connected to any other approprlate prime mover as willhereinafter be more fully explained. i

Cordance with this invention.

by all persons in sight of the truck. I wish it Y which are supported on vertical shafts 4 a and frame for rotation.

1 The worm wheels 8 are mounted to revolve ferent practical embodiments of the, invention,'but the constructions therein shown are to he understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front'elevation of advertising apparatus embodying the present inven-v tion.

a Figure 2 is a plan. view of the structure shown in Figure 1. I Figure 3 1s a side elevation ofthe structure a shownin Figures 1 and.2. Thus, in one practical manner of carrying Figures 4t and 5 are front elevations of modified formsof mechanlsmrmade in ac- Figure 6 shows a modified form of mech anism for driving thedisplay element intermittently to periodically expose the several faces thereof in succession.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 3 show a construction which is adapted to be mounted with advantage upon a motor vehicle, such, forexample, as a truck. When so mounted, it may be. supported over the drivers enclosure so as to be readily visible understood, however, that this device may be mountedjon a building'or in any other'suitable locality desired where itwill besubjected to moving currents of air in suiiicient "quantities to normally, "actuate-the", device.

As shown in these gfigur'es ,'the deviceem bodies a-frame 1, in'the upperyportion of which aremount'ed two wind wheels 2 and 3 5, respectively, suitably .j ournalled. in the I Tothe'shafts land 5am fixed worms, ,6 and 7 these Worms mesh'sworm WheelsS; as shown in Figure 8. z

freely on the trunnifons- 9 which project from respectively, and with the opposite ends ofa rotary display element 7 10. This display elementis preferably polygonalin-contour and is shown in'Figure g in the form of a triangular prism although, in may be provided with any number of display practice, it may have any number of sides without departing from the invention. The trunnions 9 extend from the opposite ends of the element and after passing through suitable bearings in the frame I extend through the worm wheels 8 and to the outer end of each trunnion is tightly affi-Xed a ratchet wheel 11, A pawl 12, preferably spring actuated, is mounted on each worm wheel 8 and coacts with the corresponding ratchet 11. The pawls 8 at the opposite ends of the display element 10 both act in the same direction so that by this arrangement, there is produced in effect a difierential mechanism.

By this mechanism, it is possible for one ot the wind wheels 2 or 3 to rotate and drive the display element, while the other wind wheel either remains stationary or rotates at a slower speed. Thus, if the wheel 2 is 1'0- tated faster than the wheel 3, the connections at the left hand side of the element, as viewed in Figure I, will serve to impart rotation to the display element, while the pawl 12 which constitutes a part of the train of driving elements at the rigl i-t hand side will ride idly over the corresponding ratchet. 7 If the wheel 3 should speed up faster than the wheel 2, the operation will be reversed and the wheel 3 will drive-the element 10', while the wheel 2 and its operated mechanism lags behind.

practice, ad verti-sing cards or other suitableadvertising matter is delineated upon the several faces of the displayelement 10, so that as this element rotates, the advertising matter on said several; faces of the display element 10 is exposed in succession. The wind Wheelsare asshown composed of a number of propeller vanes or blades shaped to catch moving air currents andto be rotated thereby and on these vanes advertising mat ter may also be delineated. In practice, a very attractive arrangement may be obtained by, silveri'ng the vanes so that when, they are operating in the sunlight, they will? act as mirrors to throw long reflected. beams in iiaiiious directions and thus attract and hold the attentional In. Figures 4 an,d.5, the structuresillustrated'are similar, in. many. respects, tothat ot' Eiguresl and 2,.eX-cept that in-Figuresl and 5, twoidisplayelement-s10 and 10 are mount-- edlon one-continuous spindle ldiwhichextends for the fulliwidth of 'the frame 1" and-is suitably journalled for. rotation thereim 6n the spindle between the-two display; elements 10 and: 1,0 is. afii xed a wornr wheel: which meshes with a worm 15 secured to a single vertical shaft, 16 on: whichais mounted a single wind wheel L? of the/type shownzinliiguresl and 2; so= that: in. this constructioni aksingle wind wheelifimctionsto simultaneously drive bot-l1 display, elements 10? 'a'nd:10 These elements 1120 degrees; at ing stroke of the piston in the cylinder 19.

tive stroke of thepiston.

active stroke, the operation describedis refaces desired.

The structure of Figure 5 is identical with the structure of Figure 4, except that a different type of wind wheel indicated at 18 is utilized to drive the shaft 16 which. imparts rotation to the elements 10* a-nd 10".

Inthe several structures which I have thus far described,relatively moving air currents are utilized to furnish power .by which the mechanisms are driven. In practic'c,,l1ow ever, the device may be actuated by other than wind power. For example, an electric motor may be used or any other suitable source of artificially produced power, although the more econon'iical construction is as by moving air currents as already described. Tn Figure 6 I have illustrated one form of artificially produced power mechanism. Here the cylinder 19 is of the character generally en'iployed in connection with pneumatic Wind: shield wipers which are operated by pressure or suction developed in the engine o t the vehicle. 2 designates the operating arm which is actuated by apiston with-in the cylinder 19, so as to oscillate between the extreme positions indicated in full and dotted lines in Figure ti The operating arm: 20 is preferably jointed as shown at 21, so that when the arm is moved l rom the full line position 0t Figure 6 to the dotted line position: thereof-,the arnr will act against one of the pins 22 which is fixed to: a disk23 pivoted on the" trunnion 9 which carries the display element 110. During the action ofthe arm 21 upon one otthe pins 22, the pin ismoved torotaste the disk 23 through Thisi'correspond's to the oper- Theflreturn stroke of the piston is idle and the joint 21 in tliearm 20 allows the arm to pass by the next pin in order to get behind such pin prepar'atoryto the next ac- Upon such next peated, and the element 10 is rotated anotlier120'degrees. I

By this arrangement, the display. element is periodically turned'to expose diflerent faces to View and such element is maintained in-sta'- ,tiona-rypositionbetween successive timed operations. Themechanism shown in Figure 6 is particular-l'y; adapted for usewith the invention when employed on motor vehicles. For stationary use on buildings or in other places, either wind power or an electric or hydraulic prime mover may be employed.

The present invention. provides arel'atively lnexpensive apparatus for mechanical advertising Itimmediately commands attention and-the space ailorded for advertising purposes is'relatively extensive. The parts are suchthatit willmot be-apt'toige't out-of order andthe frame 1s, in practice, so reinforced and braced as to Withstand violent wind pressures without distortion. p

In Figures 4 and 5, the two exhibiting elements are shown as mounted on a common shaft and driven through a single worm wheel fixed to the shaft. In practice, however, I may mount these elements on independent shafts and drive them through different wheels so that they will rotate in opposite directions without departing from this invention.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising device embodying arotary display element provided with a plurality of faces adapted to contain advertising matter and mounted to rotate, two wind wheels mounted to be rotated by moving air currents, separate and independent trains of operating connections between the respective wind wheels and the opposite ends of the display element, whereby said element may be rotated by wind power developed by either wind wheel independently of the other, each train of operating connections comprising a pawl and ratchet which will permit the driving of the display element by the wind wheel which rotates at the highest speed without imposing upon said element the drag incident to the slower speed of the slower wind wheel.

2. An advertising device embodying a rotary display element provided with a plurality of faces adapted to contain advertising matter and mounted to rotate, a supporting trunnion on each end of said element, a ratchet wheel secured to each trunnlon, a gear mounted to rotate on each trunnion adjacent each ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by 7 each of said gears and engaging with the corresponding ratchet wheel, a pinion meshing w1th each gear, a shaft secured to each pinion, and a wind wheel secured to each shaft, whereby the displayelement is adapted to be driven by either wind wheel independently and to the exclusion of the other as well as by both collectively.

In testimony whereof- I foregoing specification.

JOI-IN'W. ASHWORTH.

have signed the 

